College Football's Next Transfer Portal Period In April Has The Makings Of The Wildest One Yet

So you thought the previous transfer portal openings were wild for college football? Unfortunately for schools across the country, we are three months away from what could be the wildest window since the portal was established, based off coaching moves and potential changes to NIL rules this offseason. 

The latest example of potential chaos came Thursday morning, when Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott resigned from his position to coach tight ends at South Carolina. This move came three days into the program's spring practice, forcing the athletic director to shut down all activities and postpone the spring game. 

This is just the latest example of a head coach deciding that being a head coach was taking away the everyday life that some of these coaches are missing. Unfortunately for some folks, the NIL narrative doesn't fit this situation, as the move back to South Carolina gives Elliott a fresh start as he headed into a crucial year at Georgia State. There's also the fact that his family still held a residence in Columbia, South Carolina, which makes the transition easier for the now former head coach. 

But it's the players and assistant coaches that are hurt the most by a move like this, given that they were already preparing for the upcoming 2024 season. Now, it's not as if Shawn Elliott left after spring practice, which i wrote on Thursday would be the next domino to fall in the coaching community. But nevertheless, this move had a huge impact on the current roster. 

Given that classes have obviously already started at Georgia State, it will be difficult for one of the players to use the thirty-day window now afforded to them to enter the transfer portal. At the moment, other schools might be looking for help, but Georgia State players could have to end up waiting until the spring window to enroll at a different school, if they decide to move on. 

Sure, they can make it known that their intentions are to enter the portal, or actually do it. But getting into another school in the next thirty days would be extremely difficult, almost impossible. So, the next step is to wait until the transfer portal opens back up on April 15, with 15 days to enter their name to find a potential new home. One thing to remember is that players don't have to enroll immediately at a new school after the 15-day portal period closes, but they have to at least enter their name into the database. 

The real question is how crazy this portal window in April will be for schools that were forced to hire new head coaches over the past month. One of the biggest changes in this new era of college football could come from a lawsuit that is currently pending in a East Tennessee Federal Court, but more on that later. 

Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide on the sidelines during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Schools Are Already Preparing For April Transfer Portal Window

Three different programs in different conferences had a massive shakeup that will be talked about for years to come, while players prepare to open their options, if they already quietly haven't done so. The ripple effect from Nick Saban retiring set some programs up for an interesting three months of trying to keep a roster together, or adding to it. 

Washington's Kalen DeBoer took the job to replace Saban at Alabama, which led to the Huskies poaching Arizona's Jedd Fisch, which then led the Wildcats to hire Brent Brennan from San Jose State. These moves put the players in a tough position, given the timing. Sure, they had thirty days to find another home if they chose to, but once again, the timing of it being in late January and early February didn't help. 

So, the next step is for players at Alabama, Michigan, Washington, Arizona, Boston College and Georgia State to go through spring practice and decide if their current situation and relationships with coaches are good enough to stay. 

HOUSTON - Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines takes the field against the Washington Huskies during the 2024 CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 8. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Simply put, these next few months are auditions for players and coaches, both trying to decide if they can form a relationship that will either keep them at their current school, or force them to look around. 

"We are always paying attention to the transfer portal, or the rumors of who might enter," one Power-5 assistant told OutKick. "There's a reason why we have an entire room dedicated to the portal, watching film and looking for new entries. If one of those players is not happy with a whole new coaching staff, or even a position coach, it's our job to find out if they're good enough to go after. And it's not just the coaching staffs in our business. You'd be surprised at how many NIL agents are shopping their clients around this time of year. It's still awkward to receive a text message from a number that turns out to be an agent or runner, gauging our interest in one of their players. Hell, I don't know how some of these guys even got my number to begin with. It used to be the high school coach reaching out, but not anymore. 

"Don't forget about the NIL part of this as well. We are aware of what's going on with the NCAA and those two states (Tennessee, Virginia) lawsuit. That could end up being a gamechanger. If they allow it (Injunction on NIL Recruiting Ban), I'll be interested to see how much it changes our portal recruiting." 

This coach isn't wrong, and NIL will certainly play a factor in a number of players in the lead-up to this upcoming portal window. 

Wait To See If Injunction Granted To Tennessee-Virginia Against NCAA

One of the bigger questions that most NIL collectives have right now centers on how much influence they will have in the next portal window. It's not a secret that most of these players are signing agreements with a school collective for their ability on the field, a pay-for-play situation. But if the Attorneys General for Tennessee and Virginia get their way, NIL negotiations will turn into transparent conversations about money being offered for their services. 

A judge in East Tennessee heard arguments from both sides this past week, with the NCAA arguing that there has not been reputable harm committed against these players from their rules forbidding them to speak with collectives about exact dollar figures. This certainly hasn't stopped some of the best players in college athletics from getting top-dollar for their services. 

A Tennessee flag Is Hung Outside the Courthouse in East Tennessee before the NCAA hearing

Judge Corker specifically asked the NCAA if these athletes were being left in the dark regarding future earnings. In response, NCAA lawyers argued that the current rules were good enough for the system, although they could not argue the difference between a player discussing potential earnings with a collective, and an overall price agreement to sign with that group. 

This leads us to the spring transfer portal period, where athletes could get into public bidding wars that revolve around them attending one school over another. But, it's the portal window that has collectives across the country stocking their war chests, preparing for the influx of players willing to transfer. 

As for the players at schools that recently saw their head coach depart over the last month, the next few months will be a mixture of getting to know the new coach, while potentially having one foot out the door to explore their options. 

If these coaches can leave in the opening month of workouts, or even spring practice, maybe it is time to establish a new calendar for college football. 

But one thing is for certain. Those 15 days in April have all the makings of a chaotic month, and I can promise you conversations are already occurring.